How to Ask
by Via Arterus
Summary: He could've gone about it the easy way like most other guys. He could have made it so much easier on himself and been spared the effort and headache. But what's the fun in that? He KNOWS she'll say yes. Highschool AU- Lokane, Loki/Jane with hints of other couples. One-shot.


**I blame this piece on the awesome reviews I got from my first one-shot. You all got my creative juices flowing and this little comedy came about. That and I felt like "Deer in the Headlights" needed like... some closure sister piece/ follow-up. If you haven't read that one, I encourage you to do so before reading this one.**

**I would also like to dedicate this piece to all the Lokane fics out there. We're a small bunch but there are many damn good fics to find. But this piece isn't only a tribute, it's a challenge:**

**How many fics can you spot? :D**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Marvel's Avengers/ Thor, or titles. I only own my terrible sense of humor.**

* * *

If Loki had to blame anyone for it, Tony Stark was at the top of his "this-is-all-your-damn-fault" list. The damnable rich, star kicker of J. Whedon High school's Avenging Warriors football team and school's top flirt slash celebrity was probably the sole reason he was in such a troublesome predicament. Had he not listened to the annoyingly sarcastic teen, perhaps the seemingly simple task would not have been as arduous as it had suddenly become. It was a simple question that he definitely knew the answer to, but of course he had to step it up and make it more like an easy test question with a one sentence response that ends up taking half the page. It shouldn't be that complex.

But Tony did have a point: Why shouldn't he do more than just ask Jane Foster to go to prom with him?

It never hurt to put more effort.

He could hand her a bouquet of roses when he asks her.

Maybe add a decorative box of her favorite chocolates to ensemble.

And some cheesy note-carrying stuffed animal.

And some jewelry.

Perhaps a suit would make him more persuasive.

And cologne.

Then again... None of that was his style.

And Jane would more than likely spend the next few weeks laughing and teasing him about it than actually giving him an official answer. Not to mention, the guys would most likely find out and he would hear no end to it.

No, he would definitely not take that approach, but he would definitely go a bit beyond the casual question.

He owed it to her. They had been a couple for over a year and in his opinion, it was only right he take the task seriously even if he knew that the probability that she would say "yes" was 99.9%. Loki always had the intention to treat Jane like his queen, and so he had taken up Tony's suggestion to go (just a little) above and beyond for her.

That and all the guys were doing it for their girls.

And truthfully, he wanted to be a little competitive.

So why the heck not?

_It shouldn't be so hard._

* * *

A couple of weeks after convincing himself to take on Tony's challenge, Loki had yet to ask Jane to the prom.

After brainstorming idea after idea on how to ask her properly and tossing out most if not all options, he was nearly pulling at his hair from aggravation. Why was it that he, master of coming up with plots, plans, schemes, and creative ideas was completely at a loss on how to ask his girlfriend (who would most certainly say yes) to go to prom with him? Not only did he want it to go perfectly, but he wanted it to be something he could do that was... Well_ his_.

Trying to figure it out was stressing him.

Especially since he had noticed that lately, his girlfriend was getting rather impatient with him. He definitely knew the reason why too- Jane's questioning stares sent his way whenever prom was mentioned, or her slight nudges every time she witnessed a guy asking a girl to it made it obvious to him. That and that time a few days ago where he was enjoying the taste of her lips under the shade of a tree in the park was a kind of "in-your-face" clue. He remembers her pulling away just a bit to whisper oh so innocently:

"Do you think we'll go to prom?"

To which he answered "cleverly-"

"Who knows?"

-Before promptly silencing any other inquiries she may have had with his mouth and incredibly skilled Silvertongue.

If that incident hadn't suggested toward her impatience enough then surely he was blinder than the time she kindly pepper sprayed him upon their first meeting (which thankfully never happened again). Although, he would probably admit he was almost as distressed as he was when he was rubbing at his eyes to get the painful chemical off.

Perhaps it was actually more considering how Thor remained stunned in his room doorway holding his half-eaten box of poptarts staring at him as he remained slumped at his desk, head meeting table top with a 'thump' every other second. Loki paid him no mind at first, thinking his brother would rightfully leave him alone and head to his own room to finish his treat, but then he sensed him waltz cautiously in and seat himself on the edge of his bed. The sound of fake-aluminum wrappers opening silenced the thumping of his head.

"...What have I told you about eating on my bed?"

A pause.

"Not to."

The sound of the wrapping being crumpled up.

"... So what do you think you're doing?"

"Hmm... I'm eating on your bed."

Loki turned in his desk to look at his brother who had a strawberry filled poptart halfway to his lips.

"Thor."

A raised brow from the blonde.

"Hmm?"

"Get off my bed."

The older's eyes narrowed in challenge as he slowly brought the poptart closer as the younger's eyes started to form a glare. Thor opened his mouth and hovered the corner of his favorite treat over his tongue holding it there as both brothers locked stares in a battle of wills.

Loki grit his teeth-

-before relaxing his jaw to a sigh.

"What do you want?"

The older Odinson chuckled in victory, lowering the sweet treat from his mouth and shifting off the bed and onto the floor.

"You look down brother. You've looked troubled these past few days." He looked up at his sibling who now sat sideways towards him in his desk chair. "I wanted to know what ails you."

The younger snorted and looked back at some notes on his desk he had previously been editing.

"It's nothing. Don't worry yourself. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Like what?"

A sigh.

"Just some things Thor. Really, it's nothing-"

"It's Jane isn't it?"

Another pause.

Loki frowned.

"It is isn't it? You only get like this if it's her or if you argued with father."

He opened his mouth to retort.

"-And I know it's not about father because you haven't left the house to sulk."

"... I don't sulk."

"You're doing it now."

"This isn't sulking. It's a creative block."

A scoff from his brother.

"You don't get creative blocks."

"Well allow me to go back to your previous statement- I only get like this when it concerns Jane."

Silence.

"Hmm..."

"... What now?"

"Just... I'm wondering how hard you hit your head."

"My head is fine."

"No it isn't. Not since you fell for her."

A long pause.

"Really Thor?"

A booming chuckle.

Loki shook his head as his brother laughed.

"You are spending too much time around Stark."

"Actually Clint told me that one. I would say you were the one being influenced by him."

He got him there.

"Oh bugger off."

Another few chuckles from his brother.

"But really... Is his 'prom challenge' really troubling you that much? Surely you know she'll say yes no matter how you ask."

"Yes yes I'm aware. But it's _JANE_." He looked his brother in the eye. "For her it has to be... _better_ than _just_asking."

Thor stared at his younger brother for a long moment, studying his determined but stressed expression. It was clearer than day that he sincerely wanted to impress his girlfriend and love but he believed that Loki was pushing himself too hard for something that even with some effort was undoubtedly simple.

"Don't give me that look Thor. You know very well how much of a perfectionist I am."

The older shook his head before clearing his throat.

"Did... I tell you how I asked Sif to prom?"

He raised a brow.

"You already asked her?"

"Yes. Doth not heed me our last midday meal when I retold my chivalrous act?"

"... Just because we are going over Shakespeare again in Literature does not call for dramatics."

Once more he chuckled.

"Well let me still regale you with my marvelous tale-"

"Thor. Please. Modern tongue. I'm the one for theatrics not you."

A "hmph" from the blonde.

"Very well."

He shifted in his seat.

"For Sif... Well I took father's advice. But I was really close to taking Fandral's advice since-"

"Fandral's advice? You would be insane to follow his advice! Especially with Sif-"

"Ahem! My story is not yet finished brother!" He pouted to emphasize his offense. "And I said I was close to taking it. That does not mean I took it."

Loki raised a brow but just rolled his eyes before motioning for him to continue.

"As I was saying. I went with father's advice. He said to take advantage of something she likes... And from there, to come up with a way of asking her that involves it."

Thor smiled.

"He told me- 'A woman is most impressed when you take the time to know what they like and input your own twist to it.' …. or something like that."

Loki paused to ponder his words before bringing a finger to his lips in thought.

"...That's..." He blinked. "Actually very smart."

Thor grinned in triumph.

"Father is smart. How do you think he won over such a strong woman like mother?"

Loki smirked.

"He had to be very cunning. Mother is a hard judge to impress."

His brother nodded before leaning his head back against the bed frame.

"Well I thought about what he said, and I remembered how much Sif enjoyed a challenge... but more than anything challenges where she could prove she could stand on equal ground with me. So I invited her to a duel- of basketball. She's the ace of her school's team. I told her that if she could prevent me from even scoring a point, I would do whatever she asked of me for a week. If I won, she had to listen to my requests."

Loki raised a brow.

"I'm guessing you won since she said yes."

Thor chuckled.

"I lost."

He blinked.

"... Then... how did you ask?... Wait don't tell me she commanded you to-"

"No. Actually... When she won," he grinned "I congratulated her and asked her for at least one request before I was hers to command. When she allowed me this, I got on one knee, held up my tickets, and asked her to prom."

Thor smirked.

"And then she tackled me in a kiss which I took as a yes."

Loki stared at his brother for a long moment before shaking his head and holding back a laugh.

"Why that's one of the most cheesy things I've heard from you yet."

His brother frowned.

"But I must admit, it is something only you could probably do. Not just anyone can challenge Sif the way you can."

He gave the blonde a teasing smirk.

Thor shook his head but regained his smile.

"Cheesy it may have been. But at least it wasn't as over the top as Tony's."

Loki cringed.

"Do not remind me. I don't understand how Pepper wasn't utterly mortified by it and took it so casually."

"What I don't understand is how he convinced the cheerleaders to choreograph such a complex cheer for her. Or how he convinced them to do it in front of the whole school at that assembly last week. But I must say it was impressive watching him being vaulted to the top of their cheer tower."

The younger snorted.

"Honestly I was hoping they would drop him."

The older let out a thunderous laugh.

Loki chuckled.

"However, I must say Steven really came out the most... romantic from what I heard from Jane."

"Oh?"

"It seems he had been sending letters like a secret admirer to Peggy for a few weeks. Each letter was sealed with a rose petal. It wasn't until she had collected all the petals to one beautiful bloom that he walked up to her with a twin bloom, handed it to her, then promptly asked her to go with him to prom."

Thor blinked and looked at his brother with surprise.

"The Captain actually...?"

He nodded.

"No one had believed he had it in him. It looks like the man is quite the charmer."

His brother shook his head.

"I think I got goosebumps from this."

"Ditto."

The blonde paused and looked up at him.

"Have you heard anything about Clint and Natascha?"

Loki scoffed.

"That was the most childish approach to asking someone out."

Thor's brows rose.

"Now this I must hear."

He rolled his eyes.

"You know how Barton enjoys the wonders of using a rubber band and rolled up paper arrows as a sling shot?"

His brother's eyes twinkled with restrained laughter as he nodded.

"He spent all of one class shooting notes into her hair until she caught one and saw there was writing in it. All the little notes had different ways to ask her to go to prom." He smirked. "She said yes... after she stole the band and shot him with it a few hundred times."

No longer able to contain his amusement, Thor laughed.

"HAHA! Is that why he wore a long sleeve the other day?"

"Indeed-" he chuckled "-the welts had bruised brilliantly over night!"

Both teens laughed as they recalled their friend's discomfort as he spent the day sweating it out rather than admit pain.

Thor recovered first from their fit before grinning up at his brother.

"Well, heh, immature or not, at least he finally asked. You're the only one left having so much trouble."

Loki's chuckles ceased to an aggravated sigh.

"Thank you for oh so graciously reminding me."

He turned to look back at his desk notes as his brother stood.

"I really don't want to... half-ass anything."

He felt his brother's hand come to rest on his shoulder.

"And you won't. Since when have you ever? Even by keeping it simple, you will certainly express a lot."

Loki gave him a half-smile.

"Looks like sometimes you can act like the eldest can't you?"

Another chuckle.

"You're the one always giving me advice. It's only fair that I do the same."

"Aw, I'm touched. Will you kiss me goodnight too?"

A snort and light swipe.

"Stop it. Now you're getting creepy."

Loki genuinely laughed.

Thor reached over and ruffled his hair.

"Don't stay up too late. Mother will worry."

He nodded as his brother left his room and for a moment merely stared blankly at his desk.

_Keep it simple... but to her taste... hmm._

Inspiration finally came.

* * *

If there were two things Jane Foster enjoyed on any day, it was a well-brewed cup of coffee and poetry. It was to her pleasant surprise that, once she had moved into her new home with her father, she had come across a small, family-owned cafe that not only brewed some of the most mouth watering blends of her favorite beverage, but also hosted an open mike night every Thursday. Anyone could sign up, and most patrons of the shop had at one point or another participated. There had been more commonly than not, guitarist singing acoustic versions of their favorite songs or performing original ones, pianists who used the cafe's electric keyboard to perform a piece, singers with one or two accompanists, and of course, someone at some point would recite poetry.

The little cafe quickly became Jane's little haven on those nights, and in time she had even signed up for at least one poetry reading that had gotten great reviews from the small audience.

At first she attended every Thursday on her own, but as she made friends in her new high school, she found herself a little lonely despite the other occupants. So she invited Darcy often (who spent most of the time dishing commentary about which of the male performers were attractive) as well as Maria and Natascha. It became a girl's night more than anything... that is until she started dating Loki.

The young male was something else. First watching over her from afar, then provoking her into spraying a good dose of mace at him, (watered-down dose, but still painful nonetheless) and even going as far as taking on a trio of trouble-makers to keep her safe. Despite being a seemingly beacon for mischief, he was incredibly smart, very aloof, and in Jane's personal opinion, quite the charmer without much effort. She was content to find they also had similar cultured tastes (although he drank more tea than coffee) and even more pleased when he admitted he liked his experience at the cafe when she took him with her.

After his first visit, Loki would normally accompany Jane every Thursday with or without her friends. It was rare for him to miss a night since it was a chance to spend comfortable evening with her.

So it was no wonder this particular Thursday night, Jane was almost sulking as she sat with Darcy, Maria, and Natascha in their usual corner of the cafe.

"Jane, if your frown gets any worse, yours face is going to crinkle when you smile."

She only sent a glare at her.

"You know Natascha is just messing with you."

More silence from the girl.

Darcy leant over from her cappuccino milkshake and pulled the corners of her lips up.

"Turn that frown upside down!~"

Silence settled between the three women as they stared at the expression on her face- a mix of annoyance and irritation... topped with the most awkward smile.

"..._Pfft_..."

And suddenly the three were crying with laughter, Darcy pulling her hands away to point at Jane's face.

"Oh my gosh your face! HA!"

The brunette could only roll her eyes but nonetheless, managed a small smile.

"You guys are ridiculous."

Natascha chuckled as she leant back in her chair.

"Well it's no fun to be the dull knife in an armory."

Maria took a sip of her mocha as she glanced at her.

"What has you so depressed anyway?"

"Well... Just..." She pouted as she mixed her black coffee with her spoon. "He hasn't asked... He hasn't even showed any signs of asking."

All three women blinked.

"What?"

The red-head's brows furrowed.

"Loki is a mysterious fellow. And very mischievous. Don't you think he might be planning something. I mean he has obviously been aware of prom."

Darcy snorted.

"If he hasn't heard of prom, the guy is more of an airhead than the last guitarist that thought he could play... He was kinda cute though. 6/10 would bang."

Jane scrunched up her nose.

"... Sometimes I wonder if the only reason you come on Thursdays is so you can 'window shop.'"

"Hmm... It is one reason." She took a sip of her shake. "That and their milkshakes are amazing."

Maria chuckled before looking at her friend.

"There's still time until prom. I wouldn't be surprised if sometime soon he popped the question."

She sighed.

"Maybe... I guess."

After a moment, Jane swirled her cup of coffee before looking back at the petite stage setup for volunteers.

One of owners, a young woman in her mid-thirties, walked on stage after another pianist's performance to announce the next participant. She lifted her cup to her lips to take another sip of the hot and bitter, black drink as the woman spoke into the mike to introduce the artist-

-Before nearly spraying it all over Darcy across from her.

_No way._

Jane's head snapped towards the makeshift curtains of the stage as they opened and she's pretty sure that if her jaw could hit the floor, it would have broken through it.

Standing there in polished shoes, black slacks, a black long sleeve button up, and green/silver striped tie that accented his eyes and pale complexion, was Loki Odinson.

His hair was combed back as he usually had it, but with a bit of sheen that hinted at hair gel and he was wearing that slight smirk that she adored.

He was a god in a mortal's skin.

And he had her wondering if the temperature was getting hotter in the room.

Or maybe it was just her.

"Good evening."

His voice was crisp, smooth, and to everyone with ovaries in the vicinity, incredibly attractive.

"I would like to dedicate this poem to a young woman in the audience today."

His eyes met hers.

A thrill shot up her spine.

"I wrote it especially for her. It's titled _My Plea_"

Her heart was going into overdrive.

He cleared his throat.

And suddenly his voice was all she could hear.

_"For my love,_

_My fallen star,_

_The one and only_

_Guardian of my heart you are._

_Underneath the moonlight,_

_You've brought my world under siege._

_You pull me from the rubble,_

_Thaw my heart with your speech._

_At the beginning,_

_I was lost before your dawn_

_I was the harbringer, the fallen,_

_The hypocrite - and so on._

_But you found me by candlelight,_

_Before the hangman's hands,_

_You pardoned my past,_

_My graceless heart was yours to command._

_If by happenstance or intention_

_I had fallen for you_

_And words cannot explain_

_The shift my soul went through._

He took a step off the stage, eyes locked on hers.

_Between worlds of disbelief_

_And heaven too, to which I'm stuck beneath,_

_You're the secret of the gods_

_The serenity found after my defeat._

He began walking towards her.

_You're the magic of shared silence_

_From drunken tongues of honeyed lead,_

_My evolutionary imperative_

_To which the king of dreams sings in my head._

He reached her table and kneeled, pulling out a single red rose from seemingly nowhere.

_So now my beautiful aurora,_

_I beg you listen to my plea:_

_My lovely, wonderful, intelligent Jane,_

_Will you go to Prom with me?"_

Somehow she managed to find her voice.

"...Yes."

He smiled.

She took the rose.

And nearly tackled him in an embrace as the cafe broke into wolf whistles and applause.

A part of her noted that Darcy, Maria, and Natascha were laughing, but she didn't care as her lips found his. She was utterly content with the turnout of that night.

On Loki's end, he had been nervous at first, but as he progressed through each stanza, he saw her face flush more and more. By the time he was kneeling before her, Jane was practically putty in his hands. He relished his success as she took the rose and the smile would probably not leave his face nor hers for the rest of the night.

Everything had gone perfectly.

He had asked her in a simple manner, but uniquely his.

As he kissed her, he couldn't help his slight smirk of victory that spread against her lips.

Jane seemed to copy the expression before whispering softly to him her love..

They both knew she would say yes.

* * *

**I REGRET NOTHING- but seriously I really hope I didn't offend anyone with that poem o.o (If you didn't like me using your story I beg your forgiveness! And if I didn't use your story *gets on knees to bow* I'm so sorry! It was already so many fics! I couldn't find rhymes! It took me hours to just manage that much! I still dedicate this to you regardless!)**

**So anyone who took up the challenge of counting story titles in Loki's poem: How many did you find? Be honest! Let me know in your review!**

**Notes on this fic:**

**-There were 31* stories in Loki's poem. My brain is mush accomplishing this.**

**-Story list: ****_Fallen Star, Beneath, The Shift, Between Worlds, Shared Silence, Secrets of the Gods, King of Dreams, Words Cannot, What if you found Me, By Candlelight, Aurora, the hypocrite, If by happenstance, The Harbringer, World Under Siege, At the beginning, Pardon my Past, Lost before Dawn, Graceless Heart, Drunken Tongues of Honeyed Lead, Fallen For You, Underneath the Moonlight, And Heaven Too, Serenity Found, Magic, Rubble, Thaw, One and Only, Evolutionary Imperative, The Hangman's Hands._**** (obviously this is not in order) - Edit** Added _Guardian _thanks to reviewer suggestion (thank you!)**

**-I like brotherly moments between Loki and Thor. They're fun to write.**

**-Tony would totally convince cheerleaders to do a cheer for Pepper. Steve is a closet romantic. Clint is a child lol. Bruce... I'll assume he's going as friends with Maria.**

**_Special thanks to my Beta once again._**

**Please Review!**


End file.
